London misses the Indian Chaos

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Well now I have been in London for 3 weeks and I am really enjoying my time here and having great fun. But one thing which is missing in London, which we can find everywhere in India is Chaos.

Where is the bloody chaos??? A place which has the density of population twice as the desity of population of my country, should also be having twice the chaos, but everything related to that is missing here. There is silence everywhere.

Chaos doesnt mean that India is bad but I mean if I don't hear the horns and don't see people running around, don't find the hawkers on the street and don't find the stupid Hindi songs (specially Altaf Raja's: Tum Toh Thehere Pardesi) I feel the city is sleeping. Well now all this has become part of the Indian Culture and Tradition I guess and is running in our veins.

I know that London is not sleeping but where are all the cows and the bufallos. And there is no cow dund cakes and not smell of "VIVI" on the walls (I dont like it though in India), you can't bargain when in the shop. You can't shout when you feel like, "Ashwin Maacha!!! How are you maacha?? Epri erukey?? Nalla erukey??"

People don't talk to you when in the Underground Train. Yesterday when the train stopped in the tunnel (for some reason, not any bomb) the only noise I could hear was of a old guy turning the pages of book (which he was obviously reading). Had this been Delhi, then the person sitting next to you would have asked you; your kids names, the work you do, which company, what post, the last time your parents went to vaishnu devi ka mandir, what's for lunch. I mean everything would have been asked before the train reaches Ghaziabad (Ghaziabad is like some 30 minutes from New Delhi Railway Station). It not that I like it, but yaar kuch toh baat karo. Just give a smile when someone is standing next to you in the train or just say "Phew the train is so crowded" Log baat hi nahi karte hain.

Yes I am missing India a lot and I want to complete my work here as soon as I can and want to go back as soon as possible. One more reason for being sad is that on Saturday (30th July 2005) it's my first Alumni meet and I could not make it. Boo Hoo Hoo..

JRJK & SSA...

V...

Thanks Everyone

Well I was just going through some of my earlier posts and thought lets see how was BHAVDEEP 1 year back. This was my post on 21st of July, 2004.

Am I happy today? Am I happy what I am doing today? What is my career path? What does my family think about me? What do friends think of me? All these questions still haunt me but this time I have answers.

Yes I am happy with what I have today. The love, respect and affection I get from my friends, family, colleague and peer group is the ultimate form of happiness for me. When everyone around me talks good about me I think I deserve to be happy. Good doesnt mean they say WOW BHAVEEEP YOU ARE GREAT. But you can find out in the eyes of someone if he loves your company or not. And yes there are many who love sitting with me and say "Bhavdeep, shall we have a cup of coffee together everyday??" (some people might be bitching abut me all the time, but I dont care about them because then they are not my friends)

I am still confused, no doubt, like what is my goal in life and what I want to become. I still dont know that but I know today what sector I want to be. I want to be in Analysis and Consulting field. (some call this Knowledge Management sector) There is great growth in this sector and every company need information about the market they are in. I work for the Industrial Automation Vertical, (core mechanical engineering fundes) which also includes electronic controls, drives, motors and robotics. I love this Industry. :-)

I have changed lots in 1 year and I give all the credit to my parents, family, friends and people who love me lots for being with me all the time, when I was not doing well, be it career or health or mental stress or anything for that matter.

Thanks everyone. I am happy man today. :-)

JRJK & SSA

V..

PS: Anyone who thinks he or she has brought a tiny change in my life, can put a welcome msg in the comments box. :-)

Trip to Southall

Yesterday I went to a place in western London called Southall. Well this is different than all the places in London because "YOU CAN HEAR CAR HORNS HERE!!!" The simple reason is the huge Punjabi population here.

Went here to meet Tajinder Kang. If you get down at Southall Station you can find everything written in Punjabi and English here. All the instructions are in Punjabi.

The WELCOME TO SOUTHALL board here says JEE AAYA NU ( means welcome in Punjabi). Is this part of London??

Yesterday there was one mela types something happening there, and I took these photos. Everything and everyone was on the streets. I havent seen anything like this anywhere in London. This was not London I sould say. You could find everything here, which you can find in any Indian city. People shouting: "Oye kya kar raha hai?? Hat ja oye." Hawkers selling mangoes : "Bibiji aam leke jao bibiji." Hawkers selling cheap DVDs: "Original DVD of Hindi Movies, Original DVDs of Hindi movies."

The scene on the road here. (Bhangra Paao ji )

Some festival in Southall. Full Volume music is readily available. There is another Punjabi singers nite in Southall on 12th August, I might go to attend that. My "music ke guru ji" is coming there "Jazzy B".

Oye hooye maaza aagaya oye, maaza aagaya.

Just see this : Bank of Baroda in Southall.

State Bank of India in Southall

Me and Kang at the Gurudwara in Southhall. We didnt have langar there but I am planning to go back to Southall soon with some friends from Walthmstow and then might go for langar also.

The gurudwara was very beatiful from inside and yesterday there were kids who were doing kirtan (bhajan in Gurubani, singing hyms of Guru Granth Sahibji). Gurudwara at Southall. Jo Bole So Nihal. Sat Sri Akal.

It was fun and I also went to a pub there called Gallasi Junction, total punjabi culture there. Its not London I should say. Buuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

V...

Tottenham Football Club

Tottenham Hotspur is a decent football club in Engliosh Premier League and yesterday I was going on a bus and took these photos.

This is the huge Tottenham's Stadium.

Every club has its own merchandise showroom. This is the Tottenham Hotspur's Store in Tottenham.

I want to go home...

There is huge difference between Indians and the British. Although technologically we are coming close to them the difference lies in the attitude. Yesterday while taking a bus back to North London after all the underground trains were stopped I saw humans and not animals. Everyone was here to help the other person. There were some 1000 people ready to go in the bus when I reached Victoria station. We all had to take North London bound bus number 73. A bus comes it gets packed and people wait for the next bus. There was one metropolitan bus service lady who asked us all, "Please get in slowly don’t panic we are all here to help you and you should help yourself. Don’t push." And that’s all, everyone gets in the bus like good gentlemen and decent ladies.
Had this been Delhi we could have seen street fight and utter nuisance. "oye hat peche, tere ko pata nahi hai main kaun hoon, hat peeche" and then animals would have rushed into the bus. There are no conductors in the buses here and people act like humans. There was blind guy and he was allowed to get in first. Everyone was there to help the others. Good country.
Few of the streets were closed and we had a longer route to reach Seven Sisters Station. From there I had to take a train up to Tottenham Hale and from there change to another bus and reach Enfield. Left office at 5.30 and reached home at 9.30 after Jeejaji came to pick me from the bus stand in Enfield town.
On the way near Warren Street there was this east European lady who wanted to get into the bus and there was no space even to put a foot. She was shouting "Please let me in let me in". The driver said "please get down please get down" and the lady barked "Why should I get down? Ask the young-young fellows standing here to get down??" Everyone was ore smiles. And then I saw the best thing that could have happened, one black huge guy asked everyone "Come on everyone we need to bring in this lady. We are going to bring her in and we are going to make some space. Come on lets all go in the bus a little." Everyone moved in a little and the lady was in the bus and was kissing the black guy. Amazing people. :-)
Well I did my bit, by assisting the blind guy to Seven Sisters Underground Station; as we were going via same route . I had to get down at Tottenham Hale Station and he had a longer journey to Walthamstow Central Station.
Another bad news today. Please read this. Stockwell is on the route to my company guest house area. Saw four people being arrested in Victoria Station at 9.00 AM.
I hope everything becomes normal soon. I didn’t want to put any photos of the city which is under attack. All I now want is to return back to India safe and sound as soon as my work gets over here.

Jai Raam Ji Ki...
V...

Sehej and Pavit

Sehej and Pavit are my nephew and neice. Amrit didi ke suputr aur suputri.

This is Sehej with Amrit didi. He can speek only few words in Punjabi and is a poora angreez. He is great, never cries if he falls down and says "OUCH!!" and again ready for next fall. Sleeps besides me every night and is listens to the same old boring "Mowgli in the Jungle story". No other story facinates him at all. He is really cool guy. You can cuddle with him all day and the biggest problem he creats is when he sits to eat or when others sit to eat. "Mommy Popo!!"

Pavit... She is really cute... When I was coming here I asked her, "What shall I get for you Pavit??" Pavit says, "Something to play with. And not a frock or pencil box please!!! " :-) She doesnt talk in Punjabi at all and speaks angreezi with an accent. Today was her last day in school, now summer vacations. Stupid country this is, they have summer vacations after its over.

I am having major fun with them and now I am the "Lakdi ki kaathi kaathi pe Ghora" for them. I rush back home everyday from work to play with them.

Kids are really cool. Specailly these two. :-)

V...

Great Saturday in london

Finally I have found a place where I can go and play hockey near my place in London. The club is called Walthamstow Forest Hockey Club and after the manager said "So lad you have cum tu pley hoockey ?? Ol rightie then see ya soon lad. I will give you the number oof the cooach please contact him lad. He will give ya de schedule!" So startig hockey from 1st of August. Bought new graphite stick for £14.99.

Then I headed straight to Hyde park to meet friends Michael and Ashwin, and as usual Michael was with a girl from no where. We had our lunch at a cannal side and you can see us on top of the canal bridge. the place is called, Camdel Town and it is the Regent's Canal.

Manasa, Diet Coke, Michael and weird guy Ashwin

Michael and Ashwin were roaming aroun some street and me smart ass photographer took this photo. Look look here they are outside sex shop, I think their married life is now never going to start. ;-)

Here you can see me in the in Cyber Dog store. I had heard a lot about Punks and weird people who keep listening to lots of techno music, aaj un se milne ka mauka hi mil gaya. They didnt look like they were from earth. And as soon as we came out of the store one guy came up to me and said You need marijunana?? You need hash?? I was shocked!!! This country is driving me mad, thats all I can say.

Even the rickshaw-walas in London dont work on Saturdays. (this photo was Michael's idea) For your info I also paid a Begger in London 0.02 pence. :-) we Indians are rich buggers.

And while coming back home I saw this Harley Davidson

Punk Stores at the Hampstead Lock Road. You can get tattoos and body piercing done here.

Ok some more information about London. Please visit Greek Street for elegant bars and Restaurants. Old Crompton Street for gay bars. I also went to SOHO. All in the City of West Minister.

London is a great place if you have friends along with you. I also plan to go to few parks and the museums and North England very soon. I am having fun yaaaaaaaaaaar. :-)

V...

London again

Well its been few days in London and I think I know the place a little bit. There were many pluses and minuses I have seen in the city.

First the minuses:

1.Everyone smokes here. When I say everyone, it means everyone. Kids, girls, guys, oldies, everyone. You can find a minor coming to you and asking you to buy a pack because its not sold to people below 18 years. In India you cannot smoke on stations, bus stands, any public place for that matter there is a fine of Rs 100 if you do so. But here, its like people come to public places to smoke. One good thing the Indian governmtnet has done. Good work stupid ministers.

2. Poverty. You can find people sleeping in one small corner of the street with minimal clothes. Mostly these guys would be from the east european countries.

3. Drugs. Everyday while coming back from office I cross these appartments built for the refugees and yesterday I could find people openly inhaling some kind of powder through the nose. And there were kids around that place. Looking like wow whats happening.

4. Foul mouthing. Oh my gawd!!! What language they use. I cant type here sorry. No one said anything to me but language was awesomely bad.

This country is mad.

Positive points:

1. People come forward to help. If you are lost then ask a guy who looks like 45 to 50 types and he will tell you the correct way to reach your destination. Dont as anyone between 18 and 30, they dont have time for you. :-)

2. Excellent roads, trains and underground metro. This is a developed country you can know from the infrastructure.

3. Girls wear less clothes in summers. :-)

4. Public showing of affection. The attitude is like "Ok now I feel like kissing my girlfriend and I kiss her. Now who has a problem? You? Ok we turn this way and kiss. Happy??" this is really cool attitude. And yes no one bothers or looks at them, everyone manages his or her own business and walks ahead.

5. Awesome buildings and beautiful palaces. I saw the Trafalgar square and Buckingham Palace and really liked it.

Thats all I have to say about that. Will post lots of photos very soon.

Jai Raam Ji Ki..

V..

PS: Hey Sayesha can you tell me how I can post more than one photo in one post? I put the photos on the blog through Hello and BloggerBot.

London

London duniya mein sabse bade sheheron mein se ek. (one of the biggest cities in the world). It’s a different country in its own.
I am presently staying with my cousin Didi in Enfield (will be shifting to Tooting where my company has guesthouse). Now this place is one sleepy town in the outskirts of London and I take an early morning train to Central London from the Ponder’s End Station. As you reach the station you can find people speaking different languages, having different skin colour, wearing different clothes and running to reach for work. London is like a mother, who has opened its arms to everyone.
I am in London at a time when there has been a lot of tension because of the bombings in the Underground Train and in the bus. Some 70 people died and some 600 were injured because of the bombings. London was back to its usual way of fast lifestyle the next Monday. Everyone ready for the week ahead. The people are ready to face the terrorists and I think they are better adapted to coming back to normal because they had been facing these bombing since the IRA days. (Unlike the people across the Atlantic) You can find police and security on high alert and I think its good that I can take their help if I am lost in the city.
People seem to be very nice, they always have a smile on their faces, but the million dollar question when do these guys work?? I left office yesterday at 6.50 – 6.55 PM and was one of the last to leave office and I come in today at 8.50 AM and was the one who switched on the lights on my floor. Excuse me but in India this cant happen. You can never be the first to work or last to leave work. There will always be one geek already in office even if you come at 6 o’clock in the morning.
London is a funny place because it’s clouded and sunny in the same time and the sun sets at 10PM and again rises at 4 AM. Funny place I say.

Will meet Michael today evening. He was with me in IIT and I used to call him "farzi angreez"(pseudo foreigner) because of a strange accent he had. Those convent school kids have. and me was from Government School. He has been in London since January and by now he must have become a real Angreez. He was growing his hair, wanted a pony tail, so that we can pull it. I guess by now he must be having his hair as long as Anna Kornikova's.
Well everyone should visit London. It’s a great place (that’s what I have seen in the few days that I have been here) Will check out all the places in London very soon.
JRJK…
V..

London is HOT!!!

Its very hot in London just like Madras but humidity is less. There is still tension in London because of the blasts and the underground trains dont stop at some stations.
Will post about everything very soon but before I forget I just want everyone to know one funny thing.
I came to London by Jet Airways (this is a domestic airlines in India). I had my ticket booked in Air India and when i was about to board the plane in Bombay I couldnt find any Air India plane and I saw this Jet Airways plane. Thoughts running in my head :

1. Am I going to the correct place? Is this plane going to London?
2. I want to go to London do they know that? They have check my ticket where are they sending me?
3. Are they going to do experiments on my body after they take me to some god forsaken country?
4. Are Jet Airways and the Taliban linked in anyway?Are they going to kidnap me and take me to Uzbekistan?
5. Why am I going in a Jet Airways flight? It is a local airline. Oh shit I am traveling in a local airlines meet the queen. What will she think??
6. Wow!! Thankfully I will not see any sad old aunties (some call them airhostesses) in Air India.

Reached here safe and sound on a hot Sunday afternoon.

V...

London here I come

Ok people going to London tomorrow night. Would be off from blogging for few days. Till then....

Virdi

Abhishek is "Sarkaar"

Few weeks back I had posted that I wanted to see these movies. Saw "SARKAR" yesterday. I would say please please dont read the Rediff Review, because the review is bad and the movie is "Simply Fantabulous".
The movie starts with RMG letting us know that Sarkar is just inspired by Godfather and is not remake of Godfather. Please please please dont compare it with Godfather when you go to see the movie.
Although the movie revolves around the two Bachchans there are few people who impress us a lot in this movie, specially K.K.Menon. Great performance by him. The movie is similar to Godfather but not a copy. I dont want to tell the story but would like to talk about Abhishek Bachan here.

Abhishek has finnaly landed in Bollywood. He speaks less and expresses a lot through his eyes in this movie. He has this beard and wears a black coat all the time that makes him look more professional in whatever he does, even if it is controlling a parallel government. Few of the times where he is even better than Amitabh Bachchan. In one of the scenes, when he comes back to his father and tells him that he has killed his brother, he just steals the show. Just awesome. And the cruelty and shrewdness which he shows while talking to the CM, the swami and the drug peddler is just awesome; wait till the climax for these scenes. The dialog delivery is simply great. Its the best performance of Abhishek till date and he looks great with beard (remember Refugee?)

In the end, Abhishek is "Sarkar" and is listening to the plead of a poor woman, like Amitabh was doing at the start of the movie. Excellent ending. Please go and watch the movie but dont compare it with Godfather.

MTv Enjoy.

V...

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Arjun Bagri one of my friends here sent me these ads... Awesome...

1. Orbit Chewing Gum
2. Yoghurt For Long Life
3. Gandhi Telecom
4. Water Boy (Third on my list)
5. The race for Meat
6. Honda Diesel
7. Total Petrol Stations (Bestest)
8. HP Dolls
9. Atlas Capco Tools (Second best)
10. Exorcism :-)

please post your ranking in the comments

V...